Shout out to our fabulous friend and awesome photographer

I love love love all the photos we had taken at our home with Jonah when he was just a week old. www.erikaplummer.com was our photographer and they are so beautiful. She was here all day and Jonah wasn't necessarily the best subject, especially when he pooped on Daddy:) These are just and handful of my favorites:) And I'm having...

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Getting my footing

Geeze louise, Jonah is already3 weeks old!! I feel behind but can't seem to get anything done with the new little bossman running my house. I'm sure it's a common feeling from what I hear and have read. So I am going to let go and just enjoy the ride. I know he'll only be sooooo small for a short while. I know the baby book will still be there and the announcements will get ordered. But for today I am just going to cuddle and...

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Why Jonah?

Mr. Big Dog and I had several names for each a boy and a girl picked out since we opted to not find out what we were having. But Jonah was the only name that we really had a foundation behind...which is interesting since we ended up having a boy. We had a couple signs with the name, like I have a childhood Jonah and the Whale sculpture in...

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And Then There Was Jonah

I am so blessed. I am so lucky. I am fortunate. Jonah Matthew Rios came on Saturday October 27th, at 8:28pm. He was 9.9lbs, 21.5 inches long and practically climbed and crawled his way out into this world. His demeanor so far is strong and sweet. He seems to have this thoughtfulness behind his eyes like he's saying "yes I know you've been waiting for me, but you had things to do and so did I before I came." His coming into this...

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Overdue by 1 Long Day

Little Baby, I don't know what to say. You must like it in there. You do seemed crammed, but at the same time you are able to stretch and move around from mommy's ribs to her hips so it must still feel good to you. Daddy and I can see you move from across the room in my tummy, so I know you are getting big in there. I never thought you'd be late with all the doctor appts we've had and all the progress you've made, not to mention...

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Saying goodbye is always tough

Reason, Season, or Lifetime People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.When you figure out which one it is,you will know what to do for each person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with...

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When is this timer going to go off?

I'm kind of in the waiting "for the pot of water on the stove to boil" phase I guess. This is probably the worst time due to my pure impatience. I don't think I've ever felt this impatient in my entire life. I've had some pre-labor stuff or false labor..(which I really don't like to call it) about 3 times, and it is getting really old. Like God is just saying...."hmmmmm maybe now"....."wait, wait, no I changed my mind:) not yet." So...

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The Final Countdown

I start to sing this song in my head as I write this post.....and I actually get a little motivated and pumped up. I just started 36 weeks yesterday.....so hopefully within the month I will be holding our baby in my arms. I keep telling Mr. Big Dog that is my last 10 miles of my 100 miler:) It especially feels that way lately. I have to admit it's getting harder and harder just to move around. I think most women forget this part...

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Taking a walk in others women's shoes

These pictures kind of say a lot but not enough. I see my friends who have been pregnant at work in a totally different light. They are tough cookies to put it mildly. Being pregnant is hard on your body in just daily life.....and any job, but as a nurse in our unit I can now personally say it is really really hard sometimes. Our job...

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I'm an auntie again:)

My sissy had her beautiful new little man yesterday:) He's just precious:) Sweet Keaton Hayes Roberts. I'm sure more pictures will come soon......

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Happy is a Home with Little Feet.....

Well we are in the last stretch of preparing for our little one coming:)  Aren't these shoes just the cutest things you've ever seen? Baby's first Nikes:) Mr. Big Dog.....aka Big Daddy picked them up at the Nike employee store yesterday after he scored a pass from a co-worker.  I can't wait to find out what God is blessing...

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Coughing fits, sleepless nights, and our bathroom remodel

Well I have been pretty healthy most of this little baby's growing journey (aka pregnancy), that is until last Friday. I am one of those people who rarely gets sick...like with the flu or a cold. I attribute it to my nursing career since I am probably exposed daily to germs and bugs that would pull the paint off the walls in some places...I...

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Coming together

Well I am finally ready to share the nursery:) It's been a long process due the room being originally a mint green with forest green carpet......for um probably the past 12 years. Yep, Mr. Big Dog never even really ventured up stairs unit I moved in. Now we have beautiful guest room, baby room and the most fabulous bathroom too! Everything...

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My mom is pretty awesome

She of course has her own blog here.....and she is always super busy doing a million things at once (I wondered where I got that trait). Anyways, I have not been great about taking a lot of pictures of my belly progression:( I know, I know, I intended to but when you don't feel great or anything close to pretty your picture taking confidence...

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I get by with a a little help from my friends....

I love love love that I have friends who have survived pregnancy. I need them oh so bad sometimes. I mean really really need them to talk me off the ledge of my insecurities, my worrying, and of course giving me little nudges of "it will all be fine and you can do it." I've just started to get a lot of anxiety about the big delivery day. I mean it has to come out at some point, my midwife did say she's never had one stay inside...

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Summer is finally here in the Pacific Northwest

 Lately I am feeling good, relaxing a little bit more, and enjoying my stretch off. I have a lot of projects to finish and work on but I just can't seem to get started on really any of them.....or I am waiting for the timing so I can start A which leads to B which then makes me finish C. So for now I don't feel like doing C because...

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Mind on my baby and my baby on my mind

On the way home from work last night driving I just became overwhelmed with the fact that I am about 6 months pregnant and going to be a mother to a little baby. I say overwhelmed but it's not a negative thing, more like just a realization and this gratitude just washed over me. I was listening to this song.....and then next thing I knew...

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Little kicks give me a big kick

Well I have been feeling little baby Rios making a debut from the inside, but I can't feel it from the outside quiet yet. Everyone said how "you'll know" when it's the baby....and it's funny because I can just like they said. It's not too often yet, and actually sometimes right as I realize it....then it won't move or kick again:( But I do have to say it makes it more real by the second. The Rios house is continuing to get ready...

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Happy Sunday

Well I have taken on the chores inside as Mr. Big Dog does the yard;) He loves it and today the weather is beautiful. My only real job outside has been picking strawberries from our little berry patch we planted last year. This year the berries have quadrupled and we are reaping the harvest daily, as well as the birds and our...

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My life in pictures as of lately.....

My life lately in pictures..... Food have never tasted so good:) Whose idea was it to paint the crib? And I do not like having my picture taken at all:( This was a very forced moment with the hubs.....and NO I am not having twins...I am 5 months prego, half way mark!!! (but this photo was actually at 18 weeks...yikes). I think it just my...

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God's will? Or a little personal will? It's just an epic battle.....

Lately, I have been trying to not let stress get me too riled up. But it is so easy to do when you loose faith even a little. I'm in this constant battle in my head with "everything happens as it's supposed to" and "oh no! maybe I should do A, B, and C in hopes I get D!" I'm sure it's normal to have a little bit of anxiety when you're pregnant....

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Somethings are so much better shared

Well I don't think I mentioned yet it but my sissy is pregnant too:) She's about 6 weeks ahead of me with my soon to be newest nephew. We are so excited to have another set of little boy feet running around. And if anyone can handle 3 boys, it will be my sister. We had a great Easter morning over at my mom's today and my sister and I did...

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It's growing

So we hit a mile marker and turned 12 weeks on Friday:) I personally think this picture makes me look more pregnant then I look in person but Mr. Big Dog disagrees as he rubs the bump daily:) ( I don't know if that is a good thing, or bad thing but it's pretty cute). We are going to start taking pictures every week to document the bump growth....

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Sometimes we are crankiest to the ones we love the most....

Well I think I have had a good day of 100% hormones and just unexplained emotional roller coaster. It started with having to really face head on that I do not fit into any of my pants anymore. Yes this is due to the creation of life, but still its hard to really wrap my head around. I've said before I wasn't raised in the healthiest family in regards to eating habits and exercise. And I really have had to make a conscious effort...

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What's going on? And why am I soooo MIA???

Well first off I have to praise my husband for being the best thing in the world, on this planet and definitely my better half in my house as of lately. He is amazing. He is so supportive of me, even when he thinks he's not. He also has a gift of gently putting me in my place when I need it:) Which thankfully I hope is not too terribly often....

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Overdue Shout Out To God

Lord, I have never felt so out of control in my life. I mean this in the utmost surrender kind of way. I know this life has been given to me by you and I have the will to do what I want with it, but I again you are the one driving this bus. I have faith and know that you give me what you know I need and what I can handle in the perfect timing...

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Bitter sweet

I had her for 11 years and 134,000 miles. I think I may be the only one in my family to keep a car to long. She was reliable and good to me. And now she is going to be a blessing to another family. I didn't realize how attached I was to her until we got the call today that she sold. It funny how a car is such a huge part of your life and...

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Working on my housewife skills

I've been trying to cook more and tonight I made this new version of a chicken pot pie. The recipe calls for some grand Pillsbury biscuits you just plop on top and bake. Mr. Big Dog loved it, I think I can tweak it to be a little better;) The biscuits just weren't quite as done as I would have liked on the bottom, but it was still pretty...

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To be 16 again......

Really I would never want to be 16 again. Don't get me wrong it was a nice year, not a lot of grown up responsibilities and my biggest worry was homework (or really how I was going to wear my hair to a dance). But geese I'm only 31 and my body just isn't what it used to be. Mr. Big Dog and I went skiing yesterday. I actually snowboard and he skis. And let me first preference this whole post with the fact that in the past 10 years,...

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A day with the boys....well morning at least:)

I took my two favorite little men this morning to the Vancouver Library downtown. If was my first time, but the boys were veterans..... they have been there with their mommy so I wasn't completely lost with the 3 year old telling me from the back seat, "white dare auntie, and dare are bikes here too." Thinking he must be confused by some other place with bikes, I mean why would he associate the library with bikes? We headed in....

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Details on our surprise wedding, finally

What's the saying? A picture is worth a thousand words? Well this is our surprise wedding in order of the day:) We did not want a big wedding, but we didn't want to elope. We went back and forth with ideas and decided a surprise to everyone invited would be fun. It was hard to trick everyone, but overall I really don't think people knew it...

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